This is the song that was written, by Karen Michaels, especially for our Sunday morning gathering, in the early days of AHAM.

As our Virtual Peace Pilgrimage begins, it actually fits beautifully for us all to use as our “Peace Prayer.” I invite us all to use it at the beginning of each day, right after morning mediation, throughout the day at Heart Times, and then at the end of our evening mediation. This is a very powerful way that we can each hold a Peace Vigil in our corner of the world, to create a network of Light, and assist with the transformational shift that is now occurring throughout the world. How does it feel, right now, for us all to be living as it says in the end of this prayer/song?

Today we have lifted the fear,

Not in some distance place,

But right HERE.

And, if I work on me,

All of the world soon will be

Bathed in a Radiant Light.

May the Peace of the Heart be with us,

May we live in this Space, oh so Clear.

We now join as ONE VOICE,

Taking Truth as our choice,

We accept all of mankind as ME.

P.S. I just received this from Karen, the one that wrote this song...thank you for the precious memory...

Dearest Elizabeth,Thank you for using "Accepting All Mankind As Me" as a peace prayer/song in your blog today. The words definitely ring so true today, as the world flows through various energy changes. When that song was written, I remember how forcefully Divine Consciousness wanted it to be "born". The first half of the song was written the night before the very first Sunday Morning program AHAM held at the old "Janus Theater" in Greensboro. Then, the second half came through right after Ramana delivered that very first Sunday talk! He always loved the words to that song and in my mind's eye, I can see him, with eyes closed, a soft smile, gently swaying to the music!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

This past week, I was in Hendersonville, N.C. (just south of Asheville), visiting Esther Fisher.(Esther is the one who publishes AHAM’s monthly email-newsletter Heart to Heart)Mom and I went on a holiday to have some time together before leaving for my trip.We spent time with Esther and visited some beautiful places in this area…The Biltmore Estates was the highlight of the trip for Mom.

The highlight of the trip for me was a bit different.It was so awesome to see this prayer above coming alive.It all began with the delicious food that was waiting for us, as we arrived at Esther’s.It was cold and rainy outside, so hot soup was perfect.But, what stood out most was Esther’s warm embrace of my Mother, as she adjusted to the cold weather and unfamiliar surroundings.Her gentle touch and reassurance was so comforting to Mom, making her feel right at home.Also, Cedar, Esther’s dog for many years, welcomed us both.And, he seemed to understand where Mom was, after a long day, when he slipped into her room at night and slept by her bed.She loved it.It isn’t easy for someone my Mom’s age to travel away from her little “cocoon” at the retirement facility in Asheboro.And, yet I watched this happening so beautifully in Esther’s home.

So, this may not seem earth shattering or profound to some.Yet, these simple loving actions are what add to the overall peace on our planet.Our reaching out and embracing in Love and Kindness in our day-to-day situations is what adds to the raising of Consciousness for all to receive from.

Thank you, Esther (and Cedar), for opening your Heart and your Home to us ... a beautiful, authentic way to begin our Virtual Peace Pilgrimage.

“Though I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a tinkling cymbal.And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.Though I give away all I have to feed the poor, and though I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love never ends; as for prophecy, it will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, reasoned like a child; when I became a man/woman , I gave up childish ways.For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.Now, I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”(1 Corinthians 13)

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Something came to me to share with you that has to do with my traveling on December 1st and returning to the Center the end of June 2011 ...

Just to give you some background, first … when the ticket was booked to India, it came up to ask the ticket agent what it would cost to stop a few places on my way home.When she told me the cost, it went way over what I could afford.Then, she said, “You may want to talk to the Around the World ticket desk.”So, I was transferred to that desk and the magic began.Before I knew it, I had a ticket package for "around the world" with a number of stops, to visit several folks in the AHAM family, and at an affordable price. The places that I will be stopping are:Hawaii, Vancouver Island, Denver Colorado, Quebec Canada, Maine, and Puerto Rico.

Then an idea came up to do a blog and share together, in a conscious way, as this trip unfolds.Today the idea expanded … this trip around the world will give us an opportunity to surround the world with the Love and Radiance, through our Heart to Heart Connection.We can carry a Heart Wave around the world ... covering this entire planet and everyone in it with this Light of Love that we ARE.Simple and yet very powerful!What an awesome opportunity!Are you with me?Can you see it?

Can we all remember the Peace Pilgrim?She made a commitment to walk 25,000 miles for peace.As it all turned out, she went over her goal and caused a huge stir in Consciousness in creating peace wherever she went.Well, this feels like the same context, but it is done over an electronic networking field of Consciousness.

So, I am not spanning the globe alone ... you will all go with me each step of the way. In the picture above it has AHAM’s butterfly ... "aham" = "Self" surrounding the world. Actually, we are the sky that surrounds and includes the world … embracing all.Are we together in this? … if so, Welcome aboard!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

This was my first week of "retirement" in this new phase of my life. And, how did it get started?... With a Buddy Training at AHAM. Perfect!

For those who are not aware of this, buddies are those who are available to be with our first Self-Inquiry students, as they apply the teaching into their daily lives. This is one of the most significant services that is being offered in AHAM. Therefore the Training is very intense.

The picture above is of our buddies in training: (left to right in back row) Patricia Thompson (Assistant), John Schelor (Assistant Trainer), Annette Davidson, Mieke Rose, Elizabeth, Lina Landess, Kelly Santillo, (left to right in front row) Jenny Ngo and Cindy Pasternak.

Up until now these six students have been living the teaching and putting it into practice in their daily lives. In the Buddy Training, it is realized and directly experienced that to serve as a buddy shifts our perspective from a receiving mode to a giving mode...one that opens us up to a Wholeness and a nurturing warmth of Being. This shift is a maturing that awakens us out of the "what about me?" framework into "all is me" ...there is no longer a "me" perspective, separate and apart from a "you." We discover, the only way we can serve as a buddy is from the Heart and to simply get into the student's shoes. By asking questions and being the Heart support, the student experiences whatever comes up and gently releases it all into the Heart through the Self-Inquiry. In this exchange, there is only this Oneness being experienced...not two. With this everyone wins. What an awesome practice to be with anyone in our world. Actually, this is what all of our seasoned buddies have told us...how much buddying has given them this skill...which is now a part of the fabric of their every day relationships in life.

This past week, in our Association in Consciousness evening, we were going to acknowledge all of our buddies and celebrate our having and being a buddy. This didn't happen after all...some technical problems did not allow this. I would like to acknowledge all of the time, energy, effort, love and stick-to-it-ness that our buddies have given to this sacred service... and for most of our buddies it has been for years!

Without our Buddy System, the practice received in our I SIT would not have the opportunity to be easily integrated into the student's life. The buddy is present each week for six weeks to allow this to naturally occur.

Thank you, buddies, for all that you have done to contribute to so many people's lives. We all owe you a debt of gratitude.

I am in awe of what is being offered here in AHAM...it warms my Heart to see how far we have all come in serving the Heart in this way. I leave the care of AHAM in good hands and HUGE Hearts.

In the last post, Ramana Maharshi directed us to, "finding peace where we are." He has been one of many who resonated this peace. Those who were able to come to see him and be in his Presence were blessed indeed.

Just recently it came to me, while going through this shift in my life, that when we are able to see the "blessing" in a situation, we are then completely freed of the effects of the situation. This was presented in our recent Living Meditation program at AHAM. The truth of this expanded as we were each willing to see, an entire situation and experience, come up in our Awareness and just let it all be held in a nurturing Presence, as a blessing. This release just happens, naturally, due to the fact that we are no longer separating from the experience as it is arising, but fully accepting it as a blessing. The Oneness of Being is present and blesses the situation. It is filled with a Blessedness as the Wholeness or Holiness of Grace. All those who have gone before us that have lived this Blessed Life are blessing us in this Nurturing Presence.

Therefore, whenever there is anything arising in our space, if we are consciously being this Blessedness in the face of whatever it is that is present, we are embracing the situation with the Presence of the Heart that radiates in us, as us. With this, we are simply being this blessedness itself.

May we all be this blessedness that we are as situations arise in life. Every where we go, we can be an instrument of blessing with whatever may arise in us or "outside" of us. This was all that Ramana and I did 32 years ago as we started AHAM...we aligned ourselves in service to this One Presence that we are, in and as the Heart and we watched over the years, the blessings abundantly pouring into AHAM.

This higher frequency of vibration that comes from our being this Blessedness, could possibly be what is required to assist in shifting the overall situation that is occurring, This may be how we can all contribute to the uplifting of Consciousness and the eliminating of suffering in us and in the world around us. This Blessedness lives on in those who are ordinarily but extraordinarily ... Living from the Heart.

Let's hear the wisdom of a Hopi Elder ...

You have been telling people that this is the eleventh hour.Now you must go back and tell the people that it IS the hour.And there are things to be considered:Where are you living?What are you doing?What are your relationships?Where is your water?Know your garden.It is time to speak your Truth.Create your community.Be good to each other.And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

Then he clasped his hands together, smiled and said,“This could be a good time! The river is flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold onto the shore. They will know they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination. The elders say that we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open and heads above water. And I say, see who is there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally. Least of all, ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word ‘struggle’ from your attitude and vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in a celebration.

Welcome to this blog...a place for the ordinary to be expressed extraordinarily through us all ... as we are Living from the Heart & Flying Free!

This is the first day of the rest of my life...what an appropriate statement for what is happening right now in my life...this being the first day of a "retirement" phase of my life. And, we've only just begun...is the sensed feeling.

The function of Spiritual Director of AHAM was passed on to Stan Davis, yesterday, in our Interlude program (Sunday, October 31st). This was on the eve of our founding Spiritual Director's birthday, Ramana. And, before this first entry is being written, I was in Ramana's room honoring his birthday. I was tuning into this being a full circle of completion... my meeting him in 1978 and the years we spent together in the creation of AHAM ... and now in the handing over of this creation into the hands and Heart of our AHAM Community and the Heart-felt direction of Stan Davis. What a blessed life we have! I am so grateful for this time to have participated in this creation. Now, with everything in place ... our facilities in USA and India ... our Conscious Curriculum...money in the bank ... our Conscious Community ... we've only just begun...

So, as this new life cycle unfolds for Elizabeth ... it began with spending time, here at AHAM, with a dear friend in our AHAM family ... Michele Bordelon. She assisted me in setting up this blog and setting the stage for these communications. Our time together expressed perfectly this next phase of my life as we shared together with no roles or functions involved, as it would have been in the past ... it was simply two friends hanging out together Heart to Heart.

It warms my Heart to begin experiencing the "fruits of our labor" over these past 32 years ... seeing the Heart expressing Itself so naturally and freely within and through Michele. The tables were turned ... I was the recipient of this Heart-felt exchange as I was experiencing the experience of "leaving the nest" of AHAM after 32 years. Michele was right here with me as these feelings came up and simply held a nurturing Heart space of acceptance and Love. What a beautiful feeling to receive in this way. Another full circle was happening.

As Ramana Maharshi shared above, "find peace wherever you are." Whatever is occurring ... wherever the body is placed ... whatever the responsibility ... find peace right where I am ... receiving it all as a blessing.

Over the years, as Ramana was being my conscious friend and being with me in the process of waking up, I had said to him many times, "How can I ever repay you for all that you have given to me?" Each and every time he would say back to me, "Simply by being who you are, Love." Today on Ramana's birthday, I am so happy to be able to give back to him in this way. And, I am overjoyed that this gift is not only from me ... it is from the entireAHAM family!